Kitchen Before & After: From 70s Ski Chalet to Light and Organized

Kitchn reader Donna's old kitchen was a "very dingy, dark, dysfunctional space that was typical of the 70s ski chalet homes in our area." After many years of living in the space and struggling to make it work, she finally developed a plan to turn it into what she needed most: light and organization. See what this kitchen looks like now!

There are so many lovely details in this space, like this globe pendant lights above the island, the polished stainless steel countertops, the little pantry area off the kitchen with its yellow and white striped curtain, red Persian rugs (yes, in the kitchen!), and floor-to-ceiling white subway tiles. Here's what Donna tells us about the project:

We had been stuck with those deep, dark lower cupboards that you needed to inspect on hands and knees which made the kitchen the least desirable room in our home. The idea of drawers, although not novel, were a priority. We also had to find ways to bring in natural light so that the space became less cave-like.

With wood ceilings and beams we also knew that we were going to have to go with a white kitchen and work hard to push the white right to the ceiling. Oh and size. Small. We needed to incorporate space from the bathroom/laundry room to provide a pantry and access to a window for more natural light.

After a lot of gutting, re-wiring and planning we developed a kitchen that is practical, economical and pleasing to the eye. Our budget was very tight so it meant we needed to consider re-purposing whenever possible. The counter on the island above became counters on either side of the stove in the new kitchen and the island got cut down and turned into a wood box next to the fireplace.

Our favourite part of the old kitchen was the blackboard wall which was re-created on the cupboard doors in the new pantry [shown below]... This little pantry is tucked away off the kitchen and is a great spot to prep food during a party. Or just hide away all that "stuff" you want out of the way. It also makes a great baking station. We kept the old cupboards and simply painted them out in black chalkboard paint and added new hardware.

See more photos and read more about the renovation at Donna's blog → Our Kitchen Renovation at An Anglo in Québec

Thanks for sharing, Donna!

Have a kitchen tip, project, or renovation you'd like to show off?Every week we feature a reader kitchen project, and we're always looking for submissions. To submit your own project, follow the instructions in this post and you could see it end up here on The Kitchn.